Valve-gear for engines.



310.792.372. I PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

J. L. WHEELER.

VALVE GEAR FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1904.

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H nihiml 612M885: INVENTOH u ofinzjff zeezer Cf By ATTORNUS No. 792,372.PATENTBD JUNE 13, 1905.

' J. L. WHEELER.

VALVE GEAR FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION 3211.31) OOT. 19, 1904.

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WITNESSFS:

INVENTO EM JO/znl. 6 8222 A TTOR/VEYS UNITED STATES Patented June 13,1905.

PATENT CEEioE.

VALVE-GEAR FOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,372, dated June 13,1905.

Application filed October 19, 1904. Serial No. 229,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LAWRENCE WHEELER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Franciscoand State of California, have invented a new and Improved Valve-Gear forEngines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for automaticallycutting ofi the steam supplied to engines, particularly engines employedfor heavy work, such as in sawmills, the object being to provide acut-off of simple and inexpensive construction that may be arranged tocut off at a full stroke or at any desired point of stroke, resulting inan economy of steam and increasing the capacity of sawmill-work.

I will describe a valve-gear for engines embodying my invention and thenpoint out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam-engine with a cut-off mechanismembodying my invention attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectionsubstantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationof. a controllingvalve mechanism employed. Fig. 4 is a top view thereof.Fig. 5 is a side View of the governor or cut-off, and Fig. 6 is asection on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the bed of the engine, on oneside of which is a bracket 11, having an opening through which thecut-off cylinder 12 extends. This cut 0H cylinder has swinging motion,and therefore it is provided with trunnions 13, having bearings on thebracket, and one of these trunnions is provided with a port 14, whichcommunicates with a port 15, extended longitudinally through a wall ofthe cylinder 12, and communicates With the interior of said cylindernear the bottom or underneath the piston 16, working in the cylinder.

The lower end of the cylinder is provided with a petcock 17, throughwhich water may be drawn off, and extended from a lug 18 on the cylinderis an eccentric-rod 19, engaging with an eccentric 20 on theengine-shaft 21. The rod 22 for the piston 16 passes upward through astuffing-box 23 and connects with a cross-head 24, movable vertically onguiderods 25, extended upward from the upper end of the cylinder. Theseguides 25 are provided each with a series of openings, and a stop-bar 26is designed to be engaged in opposite openings in the guides, so as tolimit or regulate the upward movement of the crosshead 24. To preventundue jar as the crosshead moves downward, I provide cushions, hereshown as springs 27, coiled around the lower portions of the guides andwith which the lower side of the cross-head is designed to engage.

Pivotally connected to the cross-head is a link 28, which at theopposite end is pivoted to the stem 29 of a slide-valve of the ordinaryconstruction in the steam-chest 30. Arranged on the steam-chest 30 is acontrollingvalve mechanism consisting of a casing 31. This casing isprovided with a longitudinal bore in which a valve 32 slides. This valvenear its lower end is provided with an annular port 33, designed to openthe steam-outlet port 34, which communicates, through the port 35, withthe interior of the steam-chest 30. This valve 32 is also designed tocontrol an exhaust-port 36, extended transversely through the casing 31,and at its outlet end it is provided with an outwardly-opening valve 37,Which Will permit the escape of steam, but will not admit the outer air.From the port 34 a supply-pipe 38 leads to and communicates with theport 14, and consequently with the lower end of the cylinder 12, inorder to force the piston 16 upward, and upon relieving the pressure orexhausting the steam the piston will be moved downward by means of aspring 39, surrounding the piston-stem 22, and engage at one end withthe piston and at the other end with the stufling-box 23. This pipe 38serves not only to admit steam, as above mentioned, but it also servesfor the exhaust, and therefore it is connected, by means of a branch 40,with the exhaust-port'36.

From the stem 41 of the valve 32 an arm 42 extends to a connection withthe governorrod L3, which is moved longitudinally by the ordinarygovernor-balls L4. This arm 42, as clearly indicated in Fig. t, consistsof two members clamped in engagement with the rod 43 and the stem 4:1 bymeans of bolts 45. On the stem 41 above and below the arm are jam-nuts46 M.

The valve 32 is made of such length that neither port 34 or 86 will beopened until the other is closed, and the bore for the valve 32 is alsomade of such length that the valve will not be jammed in case thegovernor-belt slips off, which would allow the valve to drop.

In the operation should the engine run belowacertain desired speed thegOVGIIiOtll will cause an upward movement of the valve 32, whichwillopen the valve 2% and permit steam to pass to the under side of thepiston 16, and this steam will force said piston upward until thecross-head reaches the cross-bar 26. hen said cross-bar is in itsextreme upper position, the slide-valve will be moved its extremedistance, thus fully opening the ports leading to the engine-cylinder.By moving the cross-bar 26 downward the upward movement of the piston 16will of course be limited, and consequently the throw of the slidevalvewill be lessened. Of course while the engine is running the cut-offcylinder will be oscillated from the eccentric connection to theengine-shaft, and the said cut-off device is therefore practically aportion of the cocentric connection between the engine and theslide-valve. Should the engine reach a point above a desired speed, theoutward movements of the governor-balls 44 will force the arm 42downward, .moving the valve 32 down to close the port 34: and open theexhaust-port 36. Then the steam will pass out from underneath the piston16, which will be forced downward by the spring 39, as before mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In combination with an engine, a swinging cylinder,an eccentric connection between said cylinder and the engine-shaft, apiston in the cylinder, a connection between said piston and the engineslide-valve, and means for automatically controlling the admission of amotive agent into said cylinder below the piston.

2. The combination with an engine, of a cylinder mounted to swingthereon, an eccentric connection between said cylinder and theengine-shaft, a piston operating in the cylinder, a connection betweensaid piston and the slide-valve of the engine, and means controlled bythe engine-governor for admitting and exhausting steam to the cylinder.

3. The combination with an engine, of a cylinder mounted to swingthereon, an eccentric connection between said cylinder and theengine-shaft, guides extended upward from the cylinder, a cross-headmounted to slide on said guides, a piston in the cylinder and having itsstem connected to said cross-head, a connection between said cross-headand the slide-valve of the engine, and means for automaticallycontrolling the inlet and exhaust of steam to the cylinder.

4. The combination with an engine, of a cylinder, a bracket extendedfrom the bed of the engine, trunnions on said cylinder having bearingsin said bracket, one of said trunnions being provided with a port, aport leading from the first-named port through the Wall of the cylinder,and communicating with the lower portion thereof, a piston operating inthe cylinder, a connection between said piston and the valve of theengine, a valve-casing having port communication with the steamchest ofthe engine and also having communication with said ported trunnion, anexhaustport leading through the casing and having connection with a pipeproviding comm unication with the ported trunnion, a valve mounted toslide in said casing and having an annular port for controlling thesupply-port in the casing, and a connection between said valve and thegovernor of the engine.

5. The combination with an engine, of a bracket on the bed thereof andhaving an opening, a cylinder extended through said opening, trunnionson said cylinder having bearings in the bracket, an eccentric connectionbetween said cylinder and the engineshaft, guidesextended upward fromthe cylinder, a stop-bar adjustable along said guides, a cross-headmovable on the guides, a piston in the cylinder having connection withsaid cross-head, a connection between said crosshead and the slide-valveof the engine, and means for controlling'the admission of motive agentto the under side of said piston and for controlling the exhaust of themotive agent.

6. The combination with an engine, of a cylinder mounted to swingthereon, an eccentric on the shaft of the engine, a rod connectionbetween said eccentric and the cylinder, a piston operating in thecylinder, a connec tion between said piston and the slide-valve of theengine, a valve-casing communicating with the steam-chest of the engine,said casing having a transverse supply-port and a transverseexhaust-port, the said ports having communication with the interior ofthe cylinder at the lower end, a piston in the easing and having a portfor controlling the supply-port in the casing, a vertically-movablegovernor-rod on the engine, and an arm connection between said rod andthe stem of said valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN LAWRENCE WHEELER.

Witnesses:

R. DEMINGS, JAS. S. MULVEY.

